Three Found Brother, Lost Sister

    Tommy leaned against the alley wall watching the determined man walked the street looking around and smelling the air as if he was dog.    Tommy rolled his eyes; he just knew this man was after him, but not for money or anything like that. This man, he wanted to talk.

    Logan stopped directly across the street from Tommy who slid back a little further into the full shadow. Logan looked in Tommy's direction then strode across the street and stood in front of the shadow.

    Tommy took another step back, but proceeded no more. He looked at the man who seemed vaguely familiar yet a total stranger at the same time.

    "Hey kid." Logan said. "You still running?"

    "Depends on who's asking." Tommy shrugged. "I know you have been following me for a few days now. Why?"

    Logan shrugged. "I know who you are."

    Tommy lashed out in a high kick, but Logan saw it coming and grabbed his ankle. Tommy threw his other leg over the one Logan held, but Logan caught that one as well sending Tommy to the ground on his back.

    "I just want to talk."

    "Look," Tommy said in a worried tone. "That man, he was threatening to kill the gang, to kill me, to kill her."

    "Who?" Logan asked still holding the legs.

    "That guy I killed, his name is-"

    "Not important, but why didn't you go to the police?"

    "Because," Tommy swallowed. "He was the son of the governor."

    "What happened?"

    "I ran, after I realized that I had really killed him, I ran back home. She was asleep and I didn't mean to wake her. I showered, redressed and ran again. I hid in an alley not too far. I wanted to be able to get to her if another from his gang should try something. But the police got there first and they pulled her out of the building. She was wearing my clothes! They thought she was the killer!" Tommy was crying now, his breathing was labored and he covered his face with his hands.

    "Then what?" Logan asked, setting Tommy's legs on the ground as he crouched next to him.

    "Well, I ran again, I never stopped running. I thought, if they saw me they might have thought that she had escaped and killed me right on site. So I ran, changed as much of me as I could, and kept running. I send her packages, charms, roses and letters. But I am never in one spot long enough to get a response."

    "Tommy, do you know that she has been in that cell for three years straight?"

    "What?" Tommy looked between his fingers at Logan.

    "They are so afraid of her because they think she is the one who killed that boy, they keep her in that cell 24/7, her cell is her living quarters complete with toilet, sink, shower and no cell mates, and you are telling me that she is in there forever because of you?"

    Tommy nodded. "Yes, and there isn't a day that goes by when I don't beg the lord for his forgiveness."

    Logan stood up. "I don't think the Lord is your redeemer in this problem Tommy."

*** ***    ***    ***    ***

    Gambrel was nodding to sleep, her dreams were fading into life, and her life was fading into dreams. She could see her brother sitting in a rotting apartment scribbling another letter to her asking for forgiveness that she had granted him a couple of years ago. Then the scene changed to the day when Xavier first visited. He sat there in his chair; he had just dismissed Scott to wait outside the cell. He sat there staring up at Gambrel who was watching him from on top her bunk that was chained to the wall. Her head resting on her folded arms, her head inclined as to hear him better.

    "Who are you?" she asked, making the first move and knowing that someday she might regret it.

    "I am Charles Xavier, a professor and founder of the Xavier school for gifted youngsters." Was his reply with a voice serenely soft, yet commanding.

    "What are you doing here? Are you lost?" she sneered at him.

    "No," he smiled, expecting her resistance. "I am here to talk to you Gambrel Lockhart, I knew your parents dearly, they were once at my school."

    Gambrel shook her head. "Look mister, I don't mean to be rude, but if you are here to chat about my parents and my family, I suggest that you leave, I have no interest in them anymore."

    He nodded. "Actually Gambrel, I was thinking more along the lines of talking to the governor and persuading him to let you go to my school where you will be under surveillance everyday, at least that way you'll be able-"

    "Shhhht!" she hissed. "I don't want to." She then had turned away and he had left, but she knew that he'd be back. And he was, for three years now, he made two visits a week, got three packages from his school and was brought books to read.

    She appreciated him for his honor of coming to see her, to talk to her and to give her books and such, but she also resented him, he knew to much about her, he knew she couldn't have killed that man… and he never gave up on asking her about it either.

    Then one day he came in talking about a new face at his school. His name was Logan, he came in with a girl named Rogue, and Charles explained that this was the exact same Logan who was her Godfather. He explained everything that was happening, his search for his old friend Eric Lehnsherr. Then he didn't come in when he usually did and she got worried, later she discovered that Eric had a plan to turn everyone in NYC into a mutant!

    She laughed at the absurdity of it at first, and then he explained how Eric was going to do it. Transfer his powers into Rogue- but Logan risked his life saving Rogue, nearly dying when he left his imprint on her using her powers of absorbing… Gambrel turned away with a new hate in her body, a hate that lasted to this very moment. In her dreams she tensed with rage, in her cell she shot up screaming in a blind rage.

    Her eyes snapped opened, there was someone standing outside of the whole she made in the wall. She squinted, no, he was standing he was floating! She jumped out of bed and pressed her body to the bars holding her in.

    "Hello Gambrel," the man said in a voice that sounded Polish? Jewish?

    "Who are you?"

    "Just a friend of a friend of yours."

    She shook her head. "I know you," she backed up. "You're Eric Lehnsherr aren't you?"

    "My, my, you are a smart one aren't you?" he flicked his wrist and the door bars bended and snapped out of place. They wrapped themselves around her and carried her to his side.

    "What do you want?" she demanded trying to struggle free of the bars.

    "You'll find out soon." He smiled and they took off.

*** ***    ***    ***    ***

    Logan was smiling as he approached the prison, but an absence of scent made him stop and take another whiff. Professor Xavier looked up at him.

    "Logan," he gasped. "Gambrel,"

    Tommy, who was flanked by Logan and Scott, looked around. "What about her?"

    Before anyone could say anything Logan had broken into a run toward the guard in his station booth.

    "Sorry sir," he said in a crisp British accent. "No visitors today, there's been an escape." The officer seemed a little thrilled. "A lifer broke straight through the cell bars and vanished!"

    "Gambrel!" Tommy shouted trying to run into the prison.

    Logan grabbed the boy and dragged him to the ground. "Professor?"

    The professor had his eyes closed as if he was disappointed, but Logan knew he was scanning the minds of the officers inside.

    "She is gone," he said calmly. "Let's head back to the mansion."

*** ***    ***    ***    ***

    "It's all over the news professor, warnings of a murderer on the loose, but," Scott shook his head. "She didn't want out of there, and if she did escape, she did she get out? She couldn't have flown could she?"

    "No," the professor shook his head. "She wouldn't have even tried to escape. She was in there with the sole purpose of serving out a sentence for Tommy. She didn't leave on her own free will."

    "Are you suggesting someone took her?" Logan asked. "I mean, who would take her?"

    "I don't know," the professor sighed. "Who? Why?"

    Tommy sat outside on the fountains edge watching the moons reflection. Three shades until full, he told himself. "Three night until her powers peak."

    Jean patted his shoulder. "Want a brownie? Your sister loves them."

    Tommy took it, smiling up at Jean. "You are very beautiful."

    Jean blushed. "Thank you,"

    "Like an angel." He ate the brownie. "This is good," he sighed. "Who would steal my sister?" his face crumbled as much as he tried to keep it composed. "What did she ever do?"

    Jean put her arms over his slim shoulders. "I'm sure it is going to be alright Tommy," she cooed. "They'll find her before anything can happen to her, I promise."

    He nodded. "Yeah, I'll hold you to that."